Climate change has led to increased risk of extreme weather across the globe. Locally there is a growing demand for ‘extreme weather engineering’ – design for built environments and infrastructure services which can withstand extreme weather events. Extreme weather engineering can help to manage the impacts on population safety and the built environment from flooding, storm and high wind events (including cyclones), and bushfires. Areas vulnerable to extreme weather are not limited to remote locations small communities. There are many areas within our major cities that are at risk of damage, isolation, and prolonged service outages. 

This project, currently underway in a large 3rd year engineering unit asks students to consider an urban location that may be particularly exposed to extreme weather impacts. This could include:

• Areas highly exposed to bushfire risk
• Areas subject to frequent minor flooding
• Areas exposed to high wind loading or frequent storm damage

Working with an industry partner, students are asked to research the extreme weather risk to identify and quantify potential vulnerabilities, and put forward bespoke solutions to address the key challenges they have identified. Solutions must identify a specific client or stakeholder group and account for sensitivities around ownership, cost, and lived experiences related to extreme weather.